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NVENTA DEVELOPS PROPRIETARY VACCINE ADJUVANT
Potent Adjuvant is a Toll-Like Receptor 3 (Tlr3) Agonist
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - June 18, 2008
San Diego, California USA - Nventa Biopharmaceuticals
Corporation (TSX:NVN) today announced that the company has developed
a proprietary vaccine adjuvant, Poly IC–Poly Arginine (Poly-ICR),
that has broad potential for use in both therapeutic and prophylactic
vaccines.
Poly-ICR is a Toll-like Receptor 3 (TLR3) agonist that when combined
with a disease-specific antigen can induce both cytotoxic (T-cell)
and antibody (B-cell) immune responses against that antigen. Cytotoxic
T-cells, also referred to as CD8 T-cells, are required to target
and eliminate pathogen-infected or cancerous cells. Antibodies,
or B-cells, are required to protect against an infection caused
by a pathogen. Poly-ICR, therefore, has potential utility in both
the therapeutic and prophylactic areas of immunotherapy and vaccine
development. This novel and potent immunomodulator works with the
immune system to induce dendritic cell maturation, along with a
broad range of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, to facilitate
the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases or cancer.
Data generated using Poly-ICR, in combination with a tumor-associated
antigen, have demonstrated that the addition of the adjuvant potently
increases the antigen-specific CD8 T-cell levels, while both inducing
regression of tumors and preventing tumor growth in mouse models.
Poly-ICR is differentiated from other Poly IC compositions by its
high stability and potency in human sera, as well as its consistency
in physical-chemical properties. Nventa has successfully manufactured
research and development lots of Poly-ICR and expects that its current
manufacturing process can be used to produce future cGMP material.
“We believe that Poly-ICR will add tremendous value to Nventa’s
internal pipeline and to the programs of vaccine developers worldwide,
as we expect significant demand for Poly-ICR in the rapidly growing
vaccine field, particularly where access to previously available
TLR-based adjuvants has become restrictive,” said Gregory
M. McKee, president and chief executive officer at Nventa. “The
adjuvant’s exceptional preclinical profile suggests that it
may elicit robust, antigenspecific cellular immune responses in
humans, enhancing the effect of both therapeutic and prophylactic
vaccines against targeted antigens and pathogens.”
Nventa intends to incorporate Poly-ICR into its future CoValTM therapeutic
compound programs. The company is also currently in discussions
with multiple vaccine developers worldwide and intends to grant
access to Poly-ICR to such potential partners through license agreements.
About Nventa Corporation:
Nventa is developing innovative therapeutics for the treatment of
viral infections and cancer, with a focus on diseases caused by
the human papillomavirus (HPV). The corporation is publicly traded
on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NVN. For more information
about Nventa, please visit www.nventacorp.com.
This press release contains statements which may constitute forward-looking
information under applicable Canadian securities legislation or forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements or
information may include financial and other projections as well as
statements regarding the company’s future plans, objectives,
performance, revenues, growth, profits, operating expenses or the
company’s underlying assumptions. The words “may”,
“would”, “could”, “will”, “likely”,
“expect,” “anticipate,” “intend”,
“plan”, “forecast”, “project”,
“estimate” and “believe” or other similar
words and phrases may identify forward-looking statements or information.
Persons reading this press release are cautioned that such statements
or information are only predictions, and that the company’s
actual future results or performance may be materially different.
Forward-looking statements or information in this press release include,
but are not limited to, statements or information concerning: Poly-ICR’s
potential for use in both therapeutic and prophylactic vaccines; Poly-ICR’s
ability to induce both cytotoxic and antibody immune responses; our
expectation that our manufacturing process can be used to produce
cGMP Poly-ICR; and our intention to incorporation Poly-ICR into our
future CoValTM therapeutic compound programs.
Such forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown
risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results,
events or developments to be materially different from results, events
or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements
or information. Such factors include, among others, that we may not
be able to raise required capital; that we may not procure partners
that use Poly-ICR in their vaccines; that approvals by government
agencies such as the FDA that are needed before products can be tested
in clinical trials may not be obtained in a timely manner or at all
or will be conditioned in a manner that would impair our ability to
advance Poly-ICR; that Poly-ICR may not be found safe and effective
after extensive clinical trials; our dependence on third parties to
manufacture Poly-ICR; that our manufacturing processes may not be
validated for use in producing cGMP materials; that we may not retain
key personnel; and other factors as described in detail in our filings
with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities at www.sedar.com.
Assumptions underlying our expectations regarding forward-looking
statements or information contained in this press release include,
among others, that we will raise enough capital, on reasonable terms
and in a timely manner; that we will procure partners that use Poly-ICR
in their vaccines; that we will obtain the necessary regulatory approvals
related to Poly-ICR in a timely manner; that Poly-ICR will be found
safe and effective after extensive clinical trials; that we will be
able to engage third party manufactures who successfully manufacture
Poly-ICR on reasonable terms and in a timely manner; that our manufacturing
processes will be validated; and that we will retain our key personnel.
In the event that any of these assumptions prove to be incorrect,
or in the event that we are impacted by any of the risks identified
above, we may not be able to continue in our business as planned.
For a complete discussion of the assumptions, risks and uncertainties
related to our business, you are encouraged to review our filings
with Canadian securities regulatory authorities, including our 2007
Annual Information Form filed on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com.
All forward-looking statements and information made herein are based
on our current expectations as of the date hereof and we disclaim
any intention or obligation to revise or update such forward-looking
statements and information to reflect subsequent events or circumstances,
except as required by law.
Contact:
Donna Slade
Director, Investor Relations
9381 Judicial Drive, Suite 180
San Diego, CA USA 92121
Dir: 858.202.4945
dslade@nventacorp.com
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